Body waves in fractured porous media saturated by two immiscible newtonian fluids

A study of body waves in fractured porous media saturated by two fluids is presented. We show the existence of four compressional and one rotational waves. The first and third compressional waves are analogous to the fast and slow compressional waves in Biot's theory. The second compressional wave arises because of fractures, whereas the fourth compressional wave is associated with the pressure difference between the fluid phases in the porous blocks. The effects of fractures on the phase velocity and attenuation coefficient of body waves are numerically investigated for a fractured sandstone saturated by air and water phases. All compressional waves except the first compressional wave are diffusive-type waves, i.e., highly attenuated and do not exist at low frequencies.Now at Izmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Gaziosmanpasa Bulvari, No.16, Cankaya, Izmir, Turkey.     

Pore-Scale Analysis of NAPL Blob Dissolution and Mobilization in Porous Media

A pore-scale analysis of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) blob dissolution and mobilization in porous media was presented. Dissolution kinetics of residual NAPLs in an otherwise water-saturated porous medium was investigated by conducting micromodel experiments. Changes in residual NAPL volume were measured from recorded video images to calculate the mass transfer coefficient, K and the lumped mass transfer rate coefficient, k. The morphological characteristics of the blobs such as specific and intrinsic area were found to be independent of water flow rate except at NAPL saturations below 2%. Dissolution process was also investigated by separating the mass transfer into zones of mobile and immobile water. The fractions of total residual NAPL perimeters in contact with mobile water and immobile water were measured and their relationship to the mass transfer coefficient was discussed. In general, residual NAPLs are removed by dissolution and mobilization. Although these two mechanisms were studied individually by others, their simultaneous occurrence was not considered. Therefore, in this study, mobilization of dissolving NAPL blobs was investigated by an analysis of the forces acting on a trapped NAPL blob. A dimensional analysis was performed to quantify the residual blob mobilization in terms of dimensionless Capillary number (Ca _I). If Ca _I is equal to or greater than the trapping number defined as , then blob mobilization is expected.     

Formulation of electro-chemico-osmotic processes in soils

Electrokinetic techniques have been used for various purposes including consolidation of soils, dewatering of sludges, and hazardous waste remediation among others. Estimating the feasibility of employing electro-osmosis in a particular operation depends on the ability to predict the outcome under a variety of conditions. Predictions of this type are frequently facilitated by the use of a mathematical model designed to represent the physical system under consideration in a rigorous fashion. First, a review of fundamental aspects of electro-chemico-osmotic flow in soils is presented. Following a brief outline of previous studies, identification and quantification of the significant processes, and the construction of mathematical representations are given. This is achieved using an approach based on the macroscopic conservation of mass equations and the principle of a continuum, in contrast to an approach based on the irreversible thermodynamics of coupled flows. Special emphasis is given to coupling effects on transport processes. A complete model and associated boundary conditions are then obtained for electrokinetic processes in a compressible porous medium. The proposed model takes into consideration the migration of a contaminant plume in a flow field generated by an applied electric potential.Symbols a _v soil compressibility - A an entity - C _w mass fraction of water component in the water phase - C _s mass fraction of chemical component in the water phase - C ^* capacitance of the porous medium per unit volume of porous volume - D mechanical dispersion coefficient - D _fw ^ps hydrodynamic diffusion tensor for the chemical component in the water phase - D _fw ^pw hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient for the water component in the water phase - D _f( )/Dt material derivative with respect to an observer moving at the water phase velocity V _f - D _s( )/Dt material derivative with respect to moving solids - e void ratio - f a function - F = 0 equation of a moving boundary - g gravitational acceleration - k permeability tensor of the porous medium - k _e coefficient of electro-osmotic permeability - k _ec coefficient of migration potential - k _hc chemico-osmotic coupling coefficient - m _i number of moles of the ith component - m _i0 number of moles of the ith component at a reference level - n porosity - p pore pressure - p _oi pore pressure at a reverence level - q specific discharge of water phase - q _e current density - q _fe ^p0 constant current density applied at a boundary - q ₀ constant flow rate - q _r specific discharge of the water phase relative to the moving solid matrix - R net mass transfer rate of the chemical component in the water phase - t time - u velocity of a moving surface - _i partial molar density of ith component - V _f velocity of the water phase - V _s velocity of the solid (rate of deformation) - x vertical coordinate - coefficient of matrix compressibility - _p compressibility of water phase in motion - total (overburden) stress tensor - effective stress tensor - _h streaming current conductivity - _e electrical conductivity - electrical potential - _f viscosity of the water phase - _hf density of the water phase     

Modeling primary substrate controlled biotransformation and transport of halogenated aliphatics in porous media

In situ biorestoration is a groundwater remediation technique in which the indigenous aquifer bacteria are stimulated by injecting compounds to provide carbon source and energy. Stimulated bacteria may transform the target contaminants such as tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) into intermediate products. In this study, we developed a model to simulate the substrate-limited biotransformation of the halogenated solvents present in anoxic groundwater by sequential reductive dehalogenation under methanogenic conditions. The model consists of conservation of mass equations for the primary substrate, immobile indigenous biomass, organic solvents such as PCE and TCE, and their intermediate products trichloroethylene, dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride. The utilization of primary substrate and the biotransformation of organic solvents are assumed to follow Monod kinetics. The limiting factor on bacterial growth is assumed to be the primary substrate. The microbial yield coefficient is determined from the stoichiometric equation describing the anaerobic process. The model is solved by using a finite difference technique. Results are presented for three different case studies: continuous injection of primary substrate (acetate), single-pulse injection, and double-pulse injection. The single-pulse or double-pulse injection techniques were found to be more effective than continuous injection of primary substrate. Double-pulse technique reduces the clogging of injection wells caused by excessive microbial growth around boreholes and achieves a more uniform distribution of microbial growth in the subsurface. In all cases target compounds were effectively removed. The results, however, indicate substantial levels of intermediate product accumulation. Numerical results of a simplified model which assumes an abundance of primary substrate and a constant population of biomass, compare favorably with experimental data reported in the literature.     

Wave propagation in fractured porous media

A theory of wave propagation in fractured porous media is presented based on the double-porosity concept. The macroscopic constitutive relations and mass and momentum balance equations are obtained by volume averaging the microscale balance and constitutive equations and assuming small deformations. In microscale, the grains are assumed to be linearly elastic and the fluids are Newtonian. Momentum transfer terms are expressed in terms of intrinsic and relative permeabilities assuming the validity of Darcy's law in fractured porous media. The macroscopic constitutive relations of elastic porous media saturated by one or two fluids and saturated fractured porous media can be obtained from the constitutive relations developed in the paper. In the simplest case, the final set of governing equations reduce to Biot's equations containing the same parameters as of Biot and Willis.Now at Izmir Institute of Technology, Anafartalar Cad. 904, Basmane 35230, Izmir, Turkey.     

Comparison of Kinetic and Hybrid-Equilibrium Models Simulating Colloid-Facilitated Contaminant Transport in Porous Media

The presence of colloidal particles in groundwater can enhance contaminant transport by reducing retardation effects and carrying them to distances further than predicted by a conventional advective/dispersive equation with normal retardation values. When colloids exist in porous media and affect contaminant migration, the system can best be simulated as a three-phase medium. Mechanisms of mass transfer from one phase to another by colloids and contaminants can be kinetic or equilibrium-based, depending on the sorption–desorption reaction rate between the aqueous and solid phases. When the rate of sorption between the water phase and the solid phase(s) is not much greater than the rate of change in contaminant concentration in the water phase, kinetic sorption models may better describe the phenomenon. In some cases of modeling one or more mass transfer processes, a useful simplification may be to introduce the local equilibrium assumption. In this study, the local equilibrium assumption for sorption processes on colloidal surfaces (hybrid equilibrium model) was compared with kinetic-based models. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to deduce the effect of major parameters on contaminant transport. The results obtained from the hybrid equilibrium model in predicting the transport of colloid-facilitated groundwater contaminant are very similar to those of the kinetic model, when the point of interest is not at contaminant and colloid source vicinities and the time of interest is sufficiently long for imposed sources.     

Numerical solution and sensitivity analysis of filter cake permeability and resistance to model parameters

The migration and capture of solid particles in porous media occur in fields as diverse as water and wastewater treatment, well drilling, and in various liquid-solid separation processes. Filter cakes are formed when a liquid containing solid particles is forced through a pervious surface which allows the liquid transport while retaining solid particles. Following a literature survey, a governing equation for the cake thickness is obtained by considering the instantaneous mass balance. Later, numerical solutions for the cake thickness, cake permeability, cake resistance, solid particle velocity (cake compression rate) and concentration of suspended particles are obtained and a sensitivity analysis is conducted. The sensitivity analysis shows that the cake permeability and cake resistance are more sensitive to the rate constant of cake erosion than they are to the rate constant of particle capture. However, the concentration of suspended solid particles, and the solid velocity are mostly sensitive to the slurry parameter and the rate constant of particle trapping. Moreover, cake permeability, compressibility, concentration of suspended particles, and the solid velocity are very sensitive to the concentration at the filter septum. Finally, as expected, with a thicker slurry, more particles are captured inside the cake, thus forming a thicker and more resistant cake. Also, as more particles are being filtered at the filter septum, a thinner cake is formed and a smaller effluent concentration is achieved.     

Reservoir transport equations by compositional approach

The objective of this paper is to present an overview of the fundamental equations governing transport phenomena in compressible reservoirs. A general mathematical model is presented for important thermo-mechanical processes operative in a reservoir. Such a formulation includes equations governing multiphase fluid (gas-water-hydrocarbon) flow, energy transport, and reservoir skeleton deformation. The model allows phase changes due to gas solubility. Furthermore, Terzaghi's concept of effective stress and stress-strain relations are incorporated into the general model. The functional relations among various model parameters which cause the nonlinearity of the system of equations are explained within the context of reservoir engineering principles. Simplified equations and appropriate boundary conditions have also been presented for various cases. It has been demonstrated that various well-known equations such as Jacob, Terzaghi, Buckley-Leverett, Richards, solute transport, black-oil, and Biot equations are simplifications of the compositional model.Notation List B reservoir thickness - B formation volume factor of phase - Cⁱ mass of component i dissolved per total volume of solution - C ⁱ mass fraction of component i in phase - C heat capacity of phase at constant volume - C_p heat capacity of phase at constant pressure - D ⁱ hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient of component i in phase - D_MTf thermal liquid diffusivity for fluid f - F = F(x, y, z, t) defines the boundary surface - f_p fractional flow of phase - g gravitational acceleration - H_p enthalpy per unit mass of phase - J_p volumetric flux of phase - k_rf relative permeability to fluid f - k₀ absolute permeability of the medium - M_p ⁱ mass of component i in phase - n porosity - N rate of accretion - P_f pressure in fluid f - p_ca capillary pressure between phases and =p-p - Rⁱ rate of mass transfer of component i from phase to phase - Rⁱ _source source rate of component i within phase - S saturation of phase - s gas solubility - T temperature - t time - U displacement vector - u velocity in the x-direction - v velocity in the y-direction - V volume of phase - V_s velocity of soil solids - W_i body force in coordinate direction i - x horizontal coordinate - z vertical coordinate Greek Letters _p volumetric coefficient of compressibility - _T volumetric coefficient of thermal expansion - _ij Kronecker delta - volumetric strain - _m thermal conductivity of the whole matrix - internal energy per unit mass of phase - gf suction head - density of phase - _ij tensor of total stresses - _ij tensor of effective stresses - volumetric content of phase - f viscosity of fluid f